Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1916-1918 - Part 9

4
If Mother could see them & me when “game” is
plentiful and strong on the wing (and legs) she would
have about 7 different kinds of fits and the
horse wouldn't get a rest for a week or two.
If I get home safely I'll have to give you an
exhibition of a “Defender of Empire” indulging
in the inglorious task of “Chatting” himself.
Well, anyway, we've got a clock in the house now
so its beginning to be a bit more home like.
It has been a grandfather clock I guess but it a wag-al-thy-wa
now. My assistant found it in the street
and he has got it to go somehow, with bits of lead piping
for weights, two bike spokes and a tobacco tin lid
with some lead in it makes a pendulum, the hands
were cut out of a brass shell case and at present,
it only gains 3hrs in 24. It had so much weight
on it once that I began to get out plans for a
concrete foundation for it, and our Adjutant
said it had enough weights about it to hang it.
I guess the wooden case came to an untimely end
by burning as coal has been very scarce. It has
a doleful strike with it, and it is not content to
strike the hours once but strikes them twice each
time. My Assistant can't swear in French so the
clock doesn’t understand all the hard words he says
 

5
about it. I think it only wants talking to
the way the driver laddies talk to their galloways
when the tubs got off the way and pulled the plate
nails out.
I’m working at the Army workshops at present
messing on with bits of all sorts of things. It is
a new shop seen by the Ausn Divisions, and
I get the job to rig up tools out of scrap heaps.
I’ve made a full fledged grindstone, and
we found a small dynamo & we are trying to run
it from some shafting turned by a big water
wheel. It isn’t a success so far as the wheel runs
any old pace it fancies. Tis a queer war.
We are all curious to know how far Fritz has gone
back hope he doesn’t make a mistake and pass
Berlin in his hurry. Anyway is a bit exciting to
the boys, and it makes them hopeful.
The weather has been very cold this last few weeks,
but it is warmer now and the boys will have
less discomfort in the trenches. They have been
saying here that Fritz is so far back that he
can't be found but judging by the sound of the
guns tonight they must have an idea where he
is and are trying to keep him travelling.
In the old snap lately, coal was the burning
 

6
question of the hour, and now Fritzys retirement is.
Talking about coal, all the coal dumps round about
for miles had to be double locked, guarded, etc etc.
We had raiding parties for coal and I must say the
Austns are worth watching when they see something they
want. The doors, window frames, & stairs, even to
the mantlepieces have ended their peaceful, domestic
careers in flame & smoke. In some cottages the
stairs went step by step until the men are all forced
to sleep & camp downstairs because they can't get up.
We’ve been very fortunate, our cook having a great beak
on him with a valuable nose for smelling coal dumps.
He used to be in the patent medicine line in Sydney and
if you only heard him preaching the virtues of Rexona
Soap & ointment, you’d be fascinated into ordering
a ton of each. He argues with me for hours on
No-License and ends by drinking his rum ration and
mine too. I often tell him I'm going to draw my own in pour it down the gutter.
Well I must write next to Cora next time. I wrote Wal’s
people this last week, first time since I returned regret
to say. Got Mothers letter last fortnight, the Mails
are very irregular at present no letters received for
a week or two. With best wishes & love to all at Home
Shall try to send Alan a Souvenir. Yours Wes/.
 

France.
March 3/17.
51
Dear Folks at Home
We have just been notified that the mails for Australia
close on the 5th so I am squeezing a letter in to you
as the mails are running irregularly at present.
I haven’t had a letter from you for nearly a month now
hope everything to O.K with you all. Joe also seems to be
giving letter writing a rest as I haven’t heard from him for
quite a while. Well things are jogging along much the same
a little excitement this last week owing to Fritz retiring
a bit. The town was quite dead until this week end but
things have livened up considerably and everyone was
feeling quite perky to think they were moving ahead
again. Heaven help Fritz if ever they do get him on the
run, there is some fine cavalry spoiling for a fight here.
Just while I write this there are 4 or 5 young lads from
Lancashire in our kitchen and they are making letter
writing about impossible. These lot kids are “just out”
from Blighty they are not old enough for the firing
line so they help on Road making. They haven’t been
soldiering long and they are pretty wild and ignorant.
We have helped them out with a bit of tucker and we’ve
enjoyed the joke of seeing 4 of them tuck into a tin of McConnachie
potion. One or two started with forks and the others with
spoons. Spoons won easily.
The weather lately has been much milder and the
days are lengthening out too so we all feel
 

in better humour. I don't want another winter out here
and yet I've had a “cushy” job in a comfortable billet,
better then board lodgings any old time as we please
ourselves what we do in the house and what we eat.
We have some queer mixtures at times but we thrive on
them. To night we had soup or stew to (whatever you
please to call it) tinned sausages (rather dear these)
dough nuts, toast and blackberry jam. No butter for
some time now but plenty of tea & sugar and milk occasionally.
Talkng about tucker these “Lancasheer” lads have just been
telling about being out for tea and the lady asked one if he
would have a Serviette. He didn’t know what it was so he
said “No thanks I’ve had enough”. They’re the limit and
they are highly amusing to the Australians with me here.
I am still on the Ordnance workshops, and I’m doing
dinkum fitting jobs. We found(?) a small oil engine in
a cabinet makers shop here and commandeered it.
So I’ve been messing out on with petrol and sparking
plugs and belts and pulleys. I’ve made a drilling
machine out sewing machine stand and a cheap
bench drill, and a grindstone out of nothing.
Well it fills time in and is fairly interesting, but I wish
I was doing it in civilian clothes at home.
Well I shall have to conclude as this is about all the news
I have the time, Hope you are able to draw the
(OVER)
 

increased allotment after next month, and
that you receive other money (£30) all right.
Fritz can scarcely reach Albert with his guns now
but when a shell does come it is a big one and
leaves its mark when it bursts. A lot of these
big shell are duds though and a good job too.
I shall by to write to Cowra this mail or next,
and I must really write Mr Wilson. Remember
me to him & Mr Stingman, I got off Wilson's
letter with request for bills for No License Windows
and will do what I can for him.
I am making enquires re Jim Hannah’s burial place
Much pleased to hear from Mother and I may say
I’m very favourable towards Old England again
and I’m not surprized to hear she still leans towards
the old Country. There are lots of places I like worse
than England.
With love to you all best love to Mother. I do wish
you would tell one what you have received from
me at different times as I don’t know whether you
have got all I sent or not. Yours affectly
Wes/.
 

[*52*]
Albert Somme.
France.
29/3/17.
Dear folk at Home
I have just finished a letter to Cowra
but as missed last mail, I must try to
send you a line or two to show I am still in the flesh.
I don't have quite so much time to myself now as we work from
8.30 to 5.30 every day in the week & a half day on Sundays.
Daylight saving has already come in in France for this year and
it does make a bit of difference, but I wish they could change the
weather when they change the hours, as we have had spring
autumn, & winter all rolled in one this last week or two, and we
are still sniffing & sneezing and cuddling the bit fire we’ve got.
We’ve moved into a larger cottage now, we’ve decent bedrooms
and we are very comfortable as things go here. Since Fritz
shifted further back we’ve been free from shells too, and
it is a great relief. People are coming back to the town now
and it is fine to see the kiddies running about again in the
streets. Lots of visitors, French officers, nurses, etc come into
the town to see the Church and houses all knocked about.
Lately there have been lots of cavalry passing through, Indians
especially on their way to shake Fritz up.
Still everything is full of bustle for the men in front, and
khaki is everywhere. There were some British Marines
in town the other day, in their peace time uniforms all red braid
etc and everyone was wondering who & what they were and
one curious French soldier had to ask to satisfy his curiosity.
 

I am still at the Anzac workshops, and have a decent
enough job no more promotion in view as yet though.
Still I’m not worrying so long as I keep healthy.
I got a nice parcel from Wal’s people last week with
a big Melton Mowbray pie in it. We got the Big push
on to it bright & early. It was very good of them
to send me a parcel.
Don't you bother to send me too much there isn’t anything
particular that I want (except a bath) and the end of
the War.
I hope Fred is fixed up for work alright, don't hesitate
to use any money of mine. If you want any withdrawal
forms filled up or any ready money use what you like
of mine & send me some forms. I should worry if you
were going short of anything.
I am watching the election results pretty closely. I hope
the best side goes in, with Hughes on top.
Mails are very irregular at present, we don’t
know when to expect letters now.
Let me know if you are unable to draw the extra allotment
I’ve made out 6/- a day you ought to have now.
With love to Mother & you all
Wes/.
 

France
28th April 17.
Dear Folks at Home
[*53*]
It is so long since I wrote you, that I really
deserve severe censure. I hadn’t really
anything worth writing about as until recently
I have been anchored in this dull old town
of Albert. This last week or two I have seen
a bit more life and have been up through
Bapaume and had a sniff of the fire open
country outside that town. I have made two
efforts to find Jim Hannahs grave but without
result. To day I spent about 3hrs going over the
ground round Pozieres. I heard from the Sergt Signaller
of the 13^th Battn that Jim was killed between supports
and the front line, but really the ground is so
tossed about by shell fire that it is difficult to
distinguish anything and I shall have to ask some
of the 13^th for further particulars as to where they were.
at that time. It is possible is trace the different
regiments and divisions when crosses have been put
above the graves but some of these crosses are very rough
perhaps a pick handle and a bit of stick fastened across
with a bit of telephone wire and the name written on
in pencil. These pencillings have been washed off
with the rain of the last few months and they are often
indecipherable. I walked a big lump of ground
 

On both sides of the Pozieres – Bapaume Road but didnt
succeed in finding more than one grave of his brigade.
There are such a lot of bits of rough crosses up and when
you get to them all you learn from them “To an Unknown
British soldier". Some poor chaps are only half buried
and it is anything but a happy time to patrol this
terrible battle ground. From where the attack started
on July 1st until well past Pozieres the ground is
just as if a gigantic form of smallpox had passed
over it. It is impossible he down one’s full length
clear of shell holes. Just try to imagine how men
could live through such a bombardment. It is just
awful to think about let alone go through it.
They are now erecting big memorial crosses to the different
Battns Officers & Men on the ground where they fought
and fell. I was over the ground round the big
crater at La Briselle this week again, I hadn't
been over it since July last, and I was in the
trench from which the Tyneside Scottish & Irish
went over. They have big Memorials up now, one
to Lt Col Meredith Tyneside Irish and two privates
who were killed in trying to rescue him. There are
also 4 together to the Col, a Major, & two Captains of
the Tyneside Scottish all buried just in front
of their “jump over” trench. The big crater the
British exploded is a sight worth seeing
a tremendous hole and there are crosses all